Thanksgiving by the Numbers: Statistics for the Turkey-Day Table

Thanksgiving is almost here and that means millions of Americans nationwide are prepping for the heartiest, most coveted meal of the year. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, veggies, and pie will all grace the dining room table at many household celebrations. Just how much of these Thanksgiving foods are consumed and where? Check out these jaw-dropping Thanksgiving stats.

According to the United States Census Bureau, a whopping 254 million turkeys were expected to be raised in the U.S. this year alone, and on average each American will chow down 16.1 pounds of the meat over the course of 12 months. Butterball and Jennie-O remain the nation's top turkey processors, ultimately weighing in at around 1,300 pounds of turkey each. While turkey isn't just consumed around the holidays, 31% of turkey consumption takes place during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Although Thanksgiving birds are most frequently roasted, frying continues to be a rising T-day tradition, as more people have searched for directions on frying a turkey than any other method of preparation this year.

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Sides fare even better than the bird itself. Sweet potatoes are the big winner of Thanksgiving by the numbers since we'll see a total of 2.7 billion pounds produced in 2012. Despite that gigantic number, Americans only ate 5.3 pounds of the popular side dish per person in 2011. There are also plenty of cranberries, ready to burst in a pot of boiling water and reduce down to that beloved sauce — 768 pounds to be exact.

And last, but certainly not least — pie! Apple, pecan, and pumpkin pies remain the most popular Thanksgiving picks, but each pie got the highest search rates in Wisconsin (apple), Mississippi (pecan), and Oregon (pumpkin). The U.S. will produce a grand total of 1.1 billion pumpkins this year.

Illinois is the winner in total pumpkin consumption, but it was Ohio that won the Guinness World Record for largest pumpkin pie back in 2010. The prodigious pie, baked by the New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers, weighed a whopping 3,699 pounds and was 20 feet in diameter. The ingredient list was just as impressive as the actual pie since the recipe required 187 cans of pumpkin, 233 dozen eggs, 109 gallons of evaporated milk, 525 pounds of sugar, 7 pounds of salt, 14.5 pounds of cinnamon, and 3 pounds of pumpkin pie spice.

Don't worry if cooking a Thanksgiving feast is too daunting. The National Restaurant Association estimates Fourteen million Americans feel the same way and are planning to eat out this year. Another 16 million will order takeout for at least part or all of their Thanksgiving meal.